COVID-19 and small business – what should you do?

Recent weeks have seen the spread of the Coronavirus around the world and in Australia and the inevitable impact it has on business and the economy.

It would be an understatement to say we are going into some unknown times over the next few months.

So what should you be doing as a business to get through this, support staff and ensure safety? We have been working with a number of leading retailers in sharing ideas and plans. So this blog post is designed to give you some ideas on things you can do in and around your own business.

There are some great resources available, and lots of information is out there. We urge all business owners to ensure they are sourcing their information from valid reliable sources including the World Health Organization, Health.gov.au etc.

Information for your business

We have found some great information on sites like EmploymentHero, which includes sample Work From Home Policies.

Some great information can be found here:

The Australian government also has some resources on Health.gov.au and business.gov.au websites, with up to date information about the virus in Australia and what you can do as individuals to assist in delaying spread.

– Coronavirus (COVID-19) health alert page (health.gov.au)
– Coronavirus information and support for business

Some other useful resources:

What are we doing in our businesses at the moment?

We have already implemented a Work From Home policy.

So to do this we have had to take a number of things into consideration including:

  • Minimising staff contact – this can be done via social distancing, splitting work across shifts by using teams, or working from home as much as possible
  • Stopping all customer walk ins (to showroom etc) and order pickups – communicate this to customers, they should understand!
  • Educating staff on procedures and policies being implemented, especially around cleanliness and distancing (see resources above)
  • Implementing policy on receiving goods (ask eg, ask Courier to sign delivery on your behalf, wash hands, don’t touch face)
  • Implement a work from home policy where possible
  • Contacting vendors and suppliers about your business situation. If sales are dropping and/or cash flow is impacted, let them know early to see if you can negotiate payment terms etc.

We hope this information is useful. If you are a ReadyToShip customer and have questions, please use Live Chat and we will offer the best advice we can.

Thanks

Nathan Huppatz
Co-Founder